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Growing Organic Vegetables

Many people know about the benefits of eating organic fruit and
vegetables. However, not many people regularly eat organic food. The
biggest disincentive is usually the price. Organic veggies are
invariably a lot more expensive at the local supermarket. The good news
is that anybody with even a modest vegetable garden can grow healthy
organic vegetables for a much lower cost than they would buy off the
shelf.

Nevertheless, some people avoid growing their own vegetables
because they are running short on space, time and the know-how to tend
a successful veggie patch. However, organic gardening isnt as
difficult as many people think.

Mulching is one of the main secrets. The regular incorporation of
old organic matter helps keep the soil functioning well. Mulching helps
the soil retain moisture, suppresses weeds, reduces temperature
fluctuations, and can prevent soil crusting. Many organic gardeners
find that plant disease problems decline as the health of the soil
improves.

Of course, the main reason for growing organically is to avoid the
use of chemicals and commercially produced fertilizers and pesticides.
Again, this helps to maintain a healthy soil across numerous growing
seasons. More importantly, you can be sure that the food your family is
eating is free of pesticides and herbicides. While avoiding synthetic
chemicals, many organic gardeners approve of and use sprays and other
preparations containing naturally occurring materials. Other pest
control methods include the use of mechanical devices such as traps.
Another favorite is to encourage other animals, which like to eat the
pests, to the garden.

For city dwellers who have more enthusiasm than space, container
gardening may be the answer. Many herbs and vegetables can be grown
quite successfully in containers. These include carrots, radishes and
lettuce, as well as crops that bear fruit over a long period of time,
such as tomatoes and peppers. No matter what you grow it is important
to remember that drainage is extremely important. Another possibility
if space is at a premium is to grow herbs and vegetables amongst your
flower garden.

You never know, if the prices of organic produce remains high and
concerns about food safety grow you might be able to convert that
backyard vegetable patch into an income earner as well. For those less
entrepreneurial, there is the opportunity to work on projects, such as
neighborhood food growing, in order to benefit the whole community. At
the very least, home grown vegetables definitely taste better.